Tigers rebels hand over two Indonesians<\/p>\n
COLOMBO (AFP): Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger guerrillas freed
\nyesterday the two Indonesian crew members seized from a civilian
\nferry that was eventually destroyed by the rebels, the
\nInternational Red Cross (ICRC) said.<\/p>\n
The two crew members -- skipper Nang Hadi and his chief
\nengineer Imam Wahyudi -- were handed over to the ICRC
\nrepresentatives somewhere in northern Sri Lanka, official said.<\/p>\n
An ICRC spokesman here said they remained concerned about the
\nfate of the other seven crew members -- all Sri Lankans -- who
\nhave not yet been shown to the Red Cross since they were captured
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
\"The two foreigners are being escorted to Colombo this evening
\nby ICRC delegates,\" the spokesman said. He added all efforts were
\non to secure the release of the other seven crew members too.<\/p>\n
\"The ICRC remains deeply concerned regarding the fate of the
\nseven remaining members of the crew and is taking all necessary
\nsteps to be able to see them as soon as possible,\" the ICRC said
\nin a statement.<\/p>\n
The nine-member crew of the MV Misen were taken away by the
\nseparatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) off the
\nisland's north-western coast of Pesalai, officials said.<\/p>\n
Chief Military spokesman Sarath Munasinghe said the LTTE
\ndestroyed the vessel to scare Tamil men, women and children who
\nwere planning to use the ferry service to return to their homes
\nin the northern peninsula of Jaffna.<\/p>\n
\"This (attack) is a sign of desperation on the part of the
\nLTTE,\" Munasinghe said. \"They don't want civilians to go back to
\nthe Jaffna peninsula.\"<\/p>\n
Security forces captured the peninsula in December 1995 after
\ndriving out the Tigers, but some 500,000 Tamil civilians have
\nreturned to Jaffna in the past 18 months despite Tiger threats,
\nMunasinghe said.<\/p>\n
Owners of the 500-capacity ferry have also asked the ICRC,
\nwhich operates in areas held by the LTTE, to secure the freedom
\nof the civilian crew.<\/p>\n
The LTTE staged a similar raid on another civilian ferry on
\nthe other side of the island in August 1995 against the MV Iris
\nMoana. Then rebels took 130 passengers and eight crew hostage.<\/p>\n
All the passengers were freed but five crew members still
\nremain in Tiger custody. However, the Tigers sank two navy gun
\nboats which went to the aid of the Iris Moana which was
\neventually sunk by the Tigers after off-loading the passengers.<\/p>",
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